Container for drinking-water.



V .G. D. POGUE'. v CONTAINER FOR DRINKING WATER. APPLICATION FILED OCT.26. I9I6.

' 1 mm Dec. I, 191?? GEORGE D. POGUE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CONTAINER Foa nnmknvawnrnn.

Application filed October 26, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. 'Poeun, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Containers for Drinking-Water, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to water bottles of the type that are used fordelivering spring water or distilled water to a consumer and forsupplying the water to a water cooler, the type of bottle that is now ingeneral use for this purpose being usually of about five gallonscapacity and provided with a neck of conventional form that can beinserted in an opening in the water cooler when the bottle is arrangedin an inverted position.

The neck of the bottle furnishes a convenient means for carrying orhandling the bottle, and when the bottle is arranged in operativeposition on the cooler, the neck comes in direct contact with the waterin the water compartment of the cooler. If the neck of the bottle iscoated with filth or germs, as usually occurs, due to the fact that theneck is grasped by the hand of the person carrying the bottle, filth orgerms enter the water in the cooler into which the neck of the bottleprojects. Furthermore, the outer surface of the bottle usually collectsmore or less dust and dirt when the bottle is in storage, and while itis in transit from the filling station to the consumer, and

if the bottle is taken into a warm room while the bottle and contentsare cold the moisture in the room condenses on the outer surface of thebottle and runs down same, thus carrying the particles of dust and dirton the bottle into the water compartment of the cooler through theopening in the cooler that receives the neck of the bottle. The resultis, that the real object in purchasing pure drinking water is, in mostcases, defeated, the consumer who is willing to pay an extra price toprocure pure drinking water frequently getting water that contains morebacteria and impurities than the water in the supply mains of the citywater distributing system.

The main object of my invention is to provide a sanitary container fordrinking water, which is so constructed that there is n po ibility ofthe Water the Water Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. a 1917. Serial No. 127,820.

compartment of the cooler with which the container is used becomingpolluted by dirt or germs on the exterior of the container.

Another object is to provide a container for the purpose described thatcomprises an eflicient means for protecting the contents of same againstcontamination while the container is in storage or in transit and whenthe container is being arranged in operative position on the waterdispensing device with which it is used.

Another object is to provide a water bottle that can be inverted andarranged in operative position on a water cooler or similar devicewithout liability of spilling or wasting the water in the bottle.

And still another object is to provide a water cooler that is equippedwith means for automatically releasing the water in a sealed waterbottle that is being arranged in operative position on the cooler. Otherobjects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafterpointed out.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a vertical sectional view of a water coolerprovided with a sanitary water container constructed in accordance withmy invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical. sectional view of the neck portion ofthe container.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, illustrating a slight modification of myinvention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the piercing device on the water coolerthat breaks the seal of the container when the container is beingarranged in operative position; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, illustrating a slight modificationof my invention.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of myinvention, A designates the casing or shell of a water cooler, and Bdesignates a tubular-shaped member that is arranged inside of saidcasing in an upright position, so as to divide the interior of same intoa water compartment 1 and an ice compartment 2 that surrounds said watercompartment, the upper end of the ice compartment-being normally closedby a removable cover C provided with a center opening that is adapted toreceive the'neck portion of a water bottle D arranged in an invertedposition. The cooler is equipped with a water faucet 3 for controllingthe discharge of the water from the water compartment 1 and with anoverflow pipe & through which the water produced by the melting of theice in the ice compartment 2 can escape.

The neck portion of the bottle D is so constructed that when the bottleis arranged in operative position on the cooler, as shown in Fig. 1, thewater in the water compartment 1 of the cooler will not contact with theouter surface of the neck portion of said bottle, thereby preventing thewater in the water compartment of the cooler from being polluted by dirtor germs on the exterior of the bottle D. In the preferred form of myinvention as herein shown the bottle D is provided with a relativelythick neck portion 00 that has an annular groove g formed in the end ofsame, so as to receive the upper end of the tubularmember B of thecooler when the bottle D is arranged in operative position on thecooler, thus forming a double wall neck whose inner part 5 lies insideof the tubular member B of the cooler that forms the water compartment 1and whose outer part 6 lies outside of the member B within the icecompartment 2 of the cooler.

After the bottle D has been filled, it is sealed by a sealing cap 7 thatfits snugly over the inner part 5 of the double wall neck, said sealingcap being retained in position by an annular member 8, preferably agasket of rubber or some other suitable material, that is pressed intothe groove 3/ in the neck portion w, so as to force a flange 7 at theinner end of the sealing cap tightly against the end wall of the groovey and also cause said cap to snugly embrace the part 5 of the neck. Thesealing cap 7 is preferably formed of paper or some other suitablematerial that can be punctured easily, and in order to protect saidsealing cap while the bottle is in storage and in transit, a removablecover or cap 9 formed of metal or any other suitable material is mountedon the outer portion 6 of the neck, the removable cover 9 of the bottleherein shownconsisting of a flanged cap that is screwed onto the outerportion 6 ofthe neck of the bottle. The cover 9 is removed before thebottle is arranged in operative position on the cooler, but the sealingcap 7 is left intact so as to prevent the contents of the bottle frombeing contaminated during the operation of arranging the bottle inoperatlve position on the cooler.

Incidentally, the sealing cap 7 prevents the contents of the bottle fromspilling out of same during the operation of inverting the bottle andintroducing the neck portion of same into the opening in the cooler thatreceives said neck portion.

The cooler is provided with means for releasing the water in the bottleD after the neck portion'of the bottle has been intro duced into theopening in the cover C of the cooler, and while various means may beemployed for this purpose, I prefer to equip the cooler with a piercingdevice 10 arranged inside of the tubular member B of the cooler in sucha manner that it will pierce or break the sealing cap 7 of the bottleduring the operation of introducing the neck portion into the openingprovided for same in the cooler, said piercing device 10 consisting of asharppointcd member of substantially U shape in cross section that isarranged in an upright position at the center of the member B, with itsupper end projecting slightly above the upper end of the member B. Ifdesired, the opening in the cover C of the cooler that receives the neckportion of the bottle may be provided with a gasket 11, of rubber orother suitable material, so as to form a supporting surface for thebottle that is more or less resilient.

While I prefer to provide the bottle with an integral neck portion 0;having an annular groove y formed in the end of same. l do not wish itto be understood that my invention is limited to a bottle having adouble wall neck, both parts of which are intogrally connected to thebody portion of the bottle, for, if desired, an ordinary water bottlecan be converted into a bottle having the desirable characteristics ofmy invention, by simply arranging a sleeve or open-ended, tubular-shapedmember 12 over the neck 13 of the bottle, as shown in Fig. 3, andsecuring said sleeve in position in any suitable manner, as, forinstance, by pouring cement 14 between said parts, so as to form anannular key that cooperates with a lip 13 on the neck of the bottle andwith an annular rib 12 on the inner side of the sleeve 12 to securelylock said sleeve in position, there by forming a double wall neck on thebottle whose inner and outer portions project into the water compartment1 and ice compartment 2, respectively, of the water cooler when thebottle is arranged in operative position.

A bottle of the construction above described eliminates the possibilityof dirt or germs on the exterior of the bottle entering the watercompartment 1 of the cooler, owing to the fact that the portion 5 on theneck of the bottle that comes in contact with the water in the watercompartment 1 of the cooler is incased in a sealing cap 7 that remainsintact until after the neck portion of the bottle has been introducedinto the open ing provided for same in the water cooler. The neckportion of the bottle can be grasped by the person carrying or handlingthe bottle in the same manner as a bottle of the type now in generaluse, but it will be impossible for any dirt or germs that collect on theouter surface of the neck portion to enter the Water compartment 1 ofthe cooler, owing to the fact that the outer part 6 of the neck liesoutside of the tubularshaped member B of the cooler and projects intothe ice compartment 2. It is also immaterial whether the outer surfaceof the body portion of the bottle is coated with dust or dirt, for anycondensed moisture on the outer surface of the bottle that runs downsame through the opening in the cover C of the cooler will enter the icecompartment 2 of the cooler. The sealing cap 7 not only protects thecontents of the bottle against contamination, While the bottle is instorage or in transit and while it is being arranged in operativeposition on the cooler, but said cap also prevents the water fromspilling out of the bottle during the operation of inverting the bottleand arranging it on the cooler. It is, of course, immaterial, so far asmy broad idea is concerned, what means is employed for sealing thebottle, but when the bottle is sealed by means of a cap that is retainedin position by a resilient gasket positioned in the groove in the neckportion of the bottle, said gasket cooperates with the upper edge of thetubular shaped member of the cooler to form a reasonably tight joint forthe water compar ment 1, and also tends to prevent the neck portion ofthe bottle, which is preferably formed of glass, from being injured bythe tubular member B of the cooler that projects into the annular groovein said neck portion.

While I prefer to provide the cooler with a stationary piercing devicethat breaks the seal on the bottle and thus automatically releases thewater in the bottle, during the operation of arranging the bottle on thecooler, the cooler could be provided with-a manually-operable piercingdevice 10", as shown in Fig. 5, consisting of a piercing devicereciprocatingly mounted in a stuffing box in the lower part of thecooler and combined with a spring 10 that normally holds said deviceretracted. After the bottle has been positioned on the cooler, thedevice 1O can be forced upwardly to break the seal on the bottle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to securebyLetters Patent, is:

l. A water container, consisting of a bottle whose neck portion isprovided in its end with a groove for the purpose described, a readilypuncturable sealing cap arranged over the opening in the neck, and meansin said groove separate and distinct from said cap that holds said capin position.

2. A water container, consisting of a bottle having a neck provided withtwo spaced portions arranged one within the other, the outer portionbeing a'trifle larger than the inner portion, a puncturable sealing caparranged over the inner portion of the neck and projecting into thespace between said portions, a means separate and distinct from said capand arranged between thespaced portions on the neck of the bottle forretaining the cap in position, and a removable closure mounted on theouter portion of the neck and arranged over the sealing cap forprotecting said sealing cap when the container is in storage or intransit.

3. A water container, consisting of a bottle whose neck portion has agroove formed in the end of same, a puncturable sealing cap arrangedover the portion of the neck that forms the inner wall of said groove,and a gasket of suitable material arranged in said groove so as to holdsaid sealing cap in position and also protect the neck of the bottleagainst injury by the member that projects into said groove when thebottle is arranged in operative position on a water dispensing device.

a. A water container, consisting of a bottle provided. with a neck, anopen-ended, tubular-shaped member surrounding said neck and spaced awaytherefrom so as to form an annular groove that is adapted to receive apart through which water escapes from the bottle and means for securingsaid member to the neck of the bottle without obstructing said groove.

5. A water container, consisting of a bottle having a neck provided witha lip, an open-ended, tubular-shaped member ar ranged over said neck andspaced away therefrom so as .to form an annular groove that is adaptedto receive a part through which water escapes from the bottle, and meansarranged between the lip on said neck and a portion on the inner side ofsaid tubular-shaped member so as to secure said member in positionwithout obstructing said groove.

6. A water dispensing device, consisting of a casing whose interior isdivided into a central water compartment and an ice compartment by meansof a vertically-disposed, tubular-shaped member, and a water bottlearranged in an inverted position in an opening in the top wall of saidcasing and provided with a neck which is so formed that any moisturewhich flows down the outer surface of the neck will enter the interiorof the ice compartment in the casing.

ing, a water bottle arranged in an inverted position withits neckprojecting into said opening, said neck having two spaced portionsarranged one within the other, a tubular-shaped member in the coolerthat projects into the space between the two portions ofsaid neck, and apuncturing device on said cooler that projects into the dischargeopening in the neck of the bottle when the bottle is arranged inoperative 7 position.

9. A water dispensing device provided with a vertically-disposed,tubular-shaped member that constitutes a water compartment, an invertedwater bottle provided with a neck that has an inner portion that lieswithin said member and an outer portion that surrounds said member, anda puncturing device that projects into the discharge opening in the neckof the bottle and thus breaks the seal for said opening when the bottleis being arranged in operative position on said member.

10. A water dispensing device, consisting of a water cooler providedwith a water compartment and with an ice compartment that surrounds saidwater compartment, a water bottle arranged in an inverted position onsaid cooler and provided with a neck that has two spaced portions whichlie on opposite sides of a dividing wall between the two compartments ofthe cooler, and means on said cooler that automatically breaks the sealon said bottle and thus releases the contents of same during theoperation of arranging the bottle in operative position on said cooler.

11. A water-dispensing device, consisting of a water cooler providedwith a member that is adapted to hold water, a water bottle arranged inan inverted position and having a neck provided with a discharge portionthat projects into said member and a portion that surrounds saiddischarge portion and lies outside of said member, a seal arranged overthe discharge portion of said neck that comes in contact with the waterin said member, and means for breaking said seal.

GEORGE D. FOG-Uh].

Copies .of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

